Waukee Fall Festival

Today was the Waukee Fall Festival. It's a great day our community hosts every year, full of vendors, booths, fun activities, and games for the kids. Last year Josh and Dad couldn't join us as they were at a youth activity. But the rest of us had a great time. So we were really looking forward to the day together.

The morning started out with Josh marching in the parade. I forgot my camera for that so I took one picture with my phone. However, I am not sure how to get the pic off my phone (remember--gadgetly challenged) so I won't include that here.

Next, Dad met up with us (he was at a baptism this morning so he joined us late, camera in hand) and we headed to the various activities. I was able to take a couple shots of the kids using their three tickets each for the inflatables.

Here is a shot of Emmie and Olivia jousting. Just minutes after this was taken, Emmie got off, saying she didn't feel well, and yep--you guessed it--threw up! Great!! So she and Kris headed home. So much for our family day together. {I think she was a little dehydrated and hot. She got home, ate, cooled off, and returned to normal. Oh the fun!}

The rest of us stayed, visited the Waukee Area Art Counsel tent for great art activities (a favorite with our kids), ate lunch, and enjoyed free ice cream thanks to the Republicans running for office this fall--including a couple friends--before heading home to hang out with the family.

It Can Only Mean ONE Thing!

Something is going on around here!

**We've been checking out new backpacks, clothes, and shoes.

**We've been starting band practices.

**We've been gearing up (still gearing) for early morning seminary to start.

**We've been trying out new lockers (and their combinations), desks, and schools.

**We've been having special end-of-summer lunches at our favorite hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant.

**We've been eagerly coloring our traditional "grade level" signs.

**We've been eating (or not eating--thanks to nervous, excited tummies) our special early morning breakfast.

**We've been lining up with the hoards to find our teachers.

**We've been goofing off with good friends who happened to get in our classes by chance.

**It can only mean one thing! It must be Back to School time in Waukee, Iowa. {Josh can hardly contain his enthusiasm!}

**Here's to a GREAT year!

Day 9--Phew!!

Day 9 marked our journey home. We started early to get a good start on our long drive home. On our drive, we decided that since we were in the area, we would make our way up to Michigan, which meant taking an exit and driving half a mile and then turning around, to add that state to our list. We also took a little detour to South Bend, IN to drive through the campus of Notre Dame.

Who would have thought that our biggest traffic jam of the whole trip would be 30 minutes outside Des Moines. We couldn't tell what was going on, but we decided to take a self-guided detour to bypass the hang up {We found out later a big wreck caused the back up.}. Unfortunately, we decided to detour ourselves right past the State Fair Grounds during the Fair {not too bright on our part}.

But 2,794 miles later, we finally pulled into our driveway around 7:30 p.m. It was really a great trip and a wonderful time for us as a family. When asking the kids what their favorite part of the trip, their first response was, "it's too hard to pick." Jack said, "I have ten!" But once we pinned them down, here is what they said:

Josh: most spiritual--The Sacred Grove

most fun--Niagara Falls and Smithsonian American History Museum

Emmie: most spiritual--The Sacred Grove

most fun--Niagara Falls and Smithsonian Natural History Museum

Olivia: most spiritual--Hill Cumorah

most fun--Hurricane Deck at Niagara Falls

Jack: most spiritual--Hill Cumorah

most fun--Niagara Falls

Kris: most spiritual--The Sacred Grove

most fun--The Smithsonian

Tiffany: most spiritual--the whole Smith property experience and the Grandin Building

most fun--watching the kids have a great time and bonding together as a family with

shared experiences that will last a lifetime!

TRIP TIP # 14 Next time we do this road trip {and there will be a next time!! The overall experience was so great!!} we are definitely doing matching T-shirts. We ran into a group with them on in one of the hotels. The lady said they were for a wedding tour. But I am so stealing that idea. With how much I love the matching T-shirt thing, how did I miss that one for this trip? I could have called it our Tolman Tour 2010. It would have been great! Next time, next time . . .

TRIP TIP #15 Do this if you get a chance. It is such a great way to connect as a family in a world that tears families apart. It doesn't have to be grand, but do something where you are forced to be together for an extended period of time playing and having fun. I wouldn't trade this for anything. I know it can't happen every year. But we will try to make it happen when we can.

We are glad to be back in our own beds tonight, looking forward to the school year and our normal routines. But I am so grateful for this past week. I has been great!

Day 8--Truly Awesome!!

Day 8 proved truly awesome! We made our way over to Niagara Falls for our last grand hurrah on our 2010 road trip.

{Unfortunately, I could NOT find my charger, so I only got a few pics before the camera totally died. But not to worry, I bought a disposable camera. And if it survived the water, we should have a few more pics to add to our photo album to round out the trip.}

The morning had a bit of a rocky start as the hoards made their way to the attraction. We knew we were taking our chances going on a Saturday, but that was our only option. Once we finally figured out where to go and which tickets to purchase we headed for the fun.

First we headed to the observation tower to check out the American Falls.

Then we made our way to the Maid of the Mist tour boat that took us right to the bottom of the falls. How fun that was, if not a little scary for me as the mom. Nothing like taking your family right into the heart of a churning caldron of bubbling water at the bottom of a powerful waterfall to get your heart pumping.

We then got up close and personal with the American Falls after the boat ride and got a bit wet from the closeness of the falls. But that was just the teaser.

Thanks to a tip from some friends who just made the trip, we had been looking forward to the Cave of the Winds, where you get even closer to the waterfall. However, when we arrived, we found the line was 1-2 hours long. We debated about waiting that long, as exhaustion had set in from the week and we hadn't yet had lunch. But we finally decided we had come this far, what was a couple hours waiting in line? {One of the deals was no whining about hunger if we chose to wait in line.} The kids were awesome in line. They must have really wanted to see this. After about an hour, we finally made our way down the elevator to get up close and personal with the falls. And well worth the wait. They call the top deck the hurricane deck for a reason. It was CRAZY standing right IN the water fall. The power was amazing and we got SOAKED. We stood there waiting for Kris to take a picture. He took a minute to figure out our high tech camera and we were dying--laughing and screaming for him to take the picture so we could get out. Hope that one turns out! We all had a BLAST! I think it was one of the highlights of the whole trip. So glad we decided to get it in.

Editor's Note: I got the pictures back from our $10 camera and they came out OK. Check out the shots of us in line FOREVER and the one of me and the kids standing in the falls. What fun!

After that, we headed to our hotel in Cleveland, but not before stopping in Kirtland to see the church sites there. We knew we were not going to get there before they closed at 7:00 p.m. {actually pulling in around 7:32}, but it was fun to just walk around the sites and get a feel for that period in church history. We were able to drive past the Kirtland temple and that was great. Now we have visited most of the major church sites from the beginnings of Restoration--Palmyra, NY; Kirtland, OH; Independence, MO; Nauvoo, IL; Winter Quarters, NE. On the slate for next summer when we go home is This is the Place State Park in SLC, UT {which we haven't made it to yet} and the restoration of the home of my great-great grandparents in Franklin, ID where they are starting some restoration projects similar to Nauvoo in southern Idaho. Looking forward to that one!

TRIP TIP #12 Don't leave your camera battery charger in the hotel when planning a road trip. It makes it difficult to take more pictures with a dead camera. {Hope I can find a replacement charger or I might be emergency camera shopping!}

TRIP TIP #13 It's good to know you have members of the church with church buildings all over the world. They come in handy when you need a quick restroom. As we were in Kirtland, one of the kids couldn't make it to the hotel. Thank heavens for a chapel with a parking lot full of cars, which meant the building was unlocked. With a wedding reception going on in the gym, the said child went into the building, sporting stylin' Niagara Falls sandals {part of the Cave of the Winds experience} and a baseball hat to find the restroom. So glad we are worldwide!

Day 7--Spiritual Highlight

Day 7 took us right to the heart of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ as he established it when he lived on the earth. This restoration took place in the Fingerlakes District of western New York state, beginning in the spring of 1820 in a beautiful grove of trees in Palmyra, New York.

Late in our trip planning stage, we decided to change our plans from a jaunt down south to colonial Williamsburg, Virginia to a jaunt up north to Palmyra, NY to visit some of the church sites of the early days of the Church. I am so glad we made the change. Today was really a wonderful experience--one I hope will stay with the kids their entire lives.

{It is late and I am tired, so this won't be a detailed entry. But I wanted to record some thoughts while they were fresh.}

We started out the morning visiting the Palmyra Temple. It was a beautiful sunny morning, perfect weather for the day.

We then made our way to the Sacred Grove {where God, the Father, and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in answer to his humble prayer about which church to join}. We had a lovely tour of the Smith log home and frame house before entering the Sacred Grove to spend some time walking as a family. While there we were able to talk to the kids individually about the importance of the grove. I really felt the Spirit. I hope they did too.

After the Sacred Grove, we visited the Grandin Printing Shop where the first 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon were printed. It was another really great experience, one that really testified to me God's hand in this work. I love the Book of Mormon and know that it is truly God's word to us, his children, to make it through this life. There is a power found in that book not available anywhere else.

Then on to the Hill Cumorah, where Joseph Smith received the Gold Plates that contained the record of the Book of Mormon. As I told my kids, I love the Hill Cumorah mainly because it is a testimony to me of the great plan of the history of this world. Moroni buried those plates in the Hill Cumorah 400 years after Christ; then he waited until the appointed time for the restoration and then personally, as a glorified angel, led Joseph to find them. All part of the plan. Nothing by chance or random. He was directly involved with making sure the plates were used for the purpose of testifying to those in our day of the Savior of the world.

Finally, we visited the Peter Whitmer home, where the church was organized. Yet again the spirit was strong as we learned more about the significance of this home in church history.

All in all, it was a great day. I cried several times, much to the embarrassment of my kids, which meant I felt the Spirit testify to the truth of the work that was begun here. How I love Heavenly Father for watching over us as his children to see that this all worked out. How I love the Savior for his role in the plan. And how I love Joseph Smith for his courage and strength to perform a very difficult, lonely, but important work for the salvation of mankind.

TRIP TIP #11 Not so much a tip this time as a thought. At every site we went to, we were led on a tour by a lovely young sister missionary who testified to the truth of the things she was sharing. And with each sister, I felt the confirmation of the truth of her words. At each site, each sister also challenged us to listen to any impressions we had about sharing this message of the restored gospel with our friends. At the first couple sites, I thought, "yes, that is a good idea, I will keep it in mind. But I don't want to force my beliefs on my friends." But the last sweet sister, who was on her first day at the Whitmer home, changed my perspective with her testimony. She reminded me that the Savior has promised us each happiness as we come to Him. I have felt that sincere happiness in my own life, thanks wholly to his gospel and my knowledge of his plan. I also know that He is at the head of this Church, and it is only by becoming part of it that his plan can be realized. She asked, "If you feel such happiness with the gospel, why not share that great gift with your friends?" All the sudden my thoughts shifted from forcing my beliefs on someone to sharing the thing that makes me the most happy in this world with the people I care so much about. I really is true, I know it is. So why don't I share it freely with everyone I care about? I really should be more willing to share it and not worry about forcing it. That's never my intent. But I should be more eager to share. I hope to do better at that in the future.

{warning, I may not have pics from tomorrow's adventure--our camera battery is dead and I CAN'T find the charger. I hope I didn't leave it in hotel #3, the last place I had it. We'll see tomorrow.}

Day 6--On The Road Again

Day 6 took us back on the road again. This time we headed north. I must say it was a good idea to have a driving day today. Everyone was WIPED OUT from the last couple days hitting it hard. They were a little cranky and needed some down time.

We made our way back to PA

and decided, since we were so close, to swing by Hershey, PA to check things out. We thought it would be fun to see the Hershey plant and perhaps take a tour. Oh, our naivety. We didn't realize there was a Hershey World {literally, that is what it was called} out there with lots and lots of people and lots and lots of commercialism. We ended up stopping at the history of Hershey museum for a few minutes. We didn't even go in as Jack was feeling a little sick and the kids were at the end of their rope. We looked around the gift shop for a minute and then hit the road.

It would have been a pretty beautiful drive, except for the torrential rain that made driving through mountains a little tense. At one point, we looked to the other side of the freeway to see a PT Cruiser facing the wrong way into oncoming traffic. We think he might have hydroplaned a 180. He hurried and turned around right before a big semi came bearing down on him. Scary!

We got a kick out of our love/hate relationship with our GPS. At one point she told us to get back to our highlighted route {which we never left} because she had us driving in the woods. {We think the satellite reception was a little spotty at the top of the mountain range we were crossing. Check out our position in the middle of nowhere.}

Then on to New York state and the real driving adventure. As you know, we are still not used to this GPS world. So here is what we think happened. I had clicked on "most direct" route and we think maybe there is a better option out there. At any rate, miss GPS took us on several back roads through the lower half of western New York, visiting little known towns probably frequented by few outsiders. At one point I was laughing pretty hard as it took us past a trailer park and through a neighborhood. Seriously, was that really the most direct route to our little village of Victor, just outside Rochester?

At any rate, we made it, had dinner, and hit the pool one more time. Now off to watch a movie and relax. Hope tomorrow is a great experience for our family.

TRIP TIP #10 Pack a separate duffle bag for each individual when traveling. Seriously, I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Every other time we travel, I am in charge of everyone's stuff in one or two big suitcases. And it makes me a little nuts. Not anymore. Not only do the duffle bags all fit better in the car {we didn't even need the top storage we thought we would}, but everyone has to take care of their own stuff. So much easier for me. And with the frequent moves to new hotels, everyone just has to get their own things and we can move it all pretty quickly. That has been a real plus on this road trip.

Day 5--Hot but Satisfying

Day 5 of our trip = 2nd day in D.C. + lots of walking in the hot, hot sun! But it was really a great day!

Luckily, not such an early start today with no driving involved. We couldn't get on the metro until 9:30 a.m. {They restrict it for the day pass people to let commuters have the run of things early in the morning.} so we took things easy, had a quick breakfast, and then headed out for our second day in D.C. We knew we were in for a hot one when the sun was beating down on us as we walked to the metro station from our parking stall clear at the end of the parking lot. But what else did we expect for D.C. in August. Bring it on!

As planned, we started out in the Museum of American History and it was certainly a good call to save that for this morning. We were there long enough to spend a couple hours looking at exhibits

eat lunch in the cafe

and hit a few more exhibits before heading out to the monuments.

We made our way to the Washington Monument

and prepared ourselves for a long walk.

We saw the WWII Monument and the kids were able to dip their feet for a minute or two.

Then down the {sort of} shady walk to the Lincoln Monument. Olivia was really excited to see this one at the beginning of the day, as it reminded her of her favorite line from Night at the Museum Two--"Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah, I never lie" spoken by the Lincoln monument. But by the time we made it there, she wasn't interested in ANYTHING except getting out of the heat. I don't think she even saw the monument. Hopefully she will appreciate it in pictures.

Then back past the Vietnam Memorial

and over to see the White House

before making our way back to the American History cafe for the motivating ice cream.

The kids decided that walking all the way to the Capitol for a picture was just too much to ask, so we opted for a picture in the middle of the mall with the Capitol in the background. Good enough after a long day.

Then on to the subway for one last trip home. Not QUITE so crowded as last night, but still standing room only. This time I snapped a couple shots--one waiting for the train and one before departing.

Then home for dinner, a quick swim, and off to bed. Another full day today. So glad we gave D.C. two days. Now hitting the road again tomorrow for the next leg of the trip.

TRIP TIP # 8 Take really good walking shoes on vacation. There's lots and lots of walking!

TRIP TIP #9 Put your patience on! It's always needed on vacation. The kids have been pretty good on this trip; but there has been our fair share of convincing them they can make it {on long walks, among other things} as well as gentle "reminders" to leave each other alone or have a good attitude. Isn't family life great!